Dodgers Notebook: Coaching staff finalized for upcoming season

The Dodgers finalized their 2013 coaching staff Tuesday with few changes.

In the most notable change, hitting coach Mark McGwire will be joined by assistant hitting coach John Valentin, while pitching coach Rick Honeycutt will be assisted by former bullpen coach Ken Howell.

Ned Colletti said at last week's general manager meetings that the demands on hitting coaches have expanded significantly; the same can probably be said for pitching coaches. The Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals all have assistant hitting coaches, with the Boston Red Sox expected to add the position for next season. The Cincinnati Reds have an assistant pitching coach.

"I think there's so much scouting out now, so much video, so much work that needs to be done in-between games," Colletti said. "Think about it, you've got 13 position players, of which all could play any given day. You need to adjust every given day.

"It just makes sense that the manpower, the numbers work that way, as far as how much teaching you have to do. Then the scouting is deeper, the video is deeper. There's so much more information that you need more than one person to really do it."

Valentin will enter his sixth season in the Dodgers' organization. He was the hitting coach at Triple-A Albuquerque (2011-12) and Double-A Chattanooga (2010) and the manager for Chattanooga (2009) and Single-A Inland Empire (2008). Valentin batted .279 in his 11-year major league career (1992-2002).

Chuck Crim takes over for Howell as the bullpen coach after two seasons as the pitching coach at Chattanooga. Crim, a native of Van Nuys, was the coach at Canyon High School in Santa Clarita from 2003-05.

The Dodgers' first offseason priority is pitching, evidenced by their $25.7 million posting fee to negotiate with Korean left-hander Ryu Hyun-Jin last weekend. Colletti is also interested in a backup center fielder and first baseman, and rumors have linked the Dodgers to free-agent outfielder Torii Hunter.

But the Dodgers have their starting outfield set and the 37-year-old Hunter has said he isn't interested in being a backup after a productive season with the Angels. Asked directly about Hunter on Monday, Mattingly suggested that he wouldn't be a good fit.

"You can't throw all these players on your roster and say, `make it work.' Guys aren't happy like that," Mattingly said. "That fourth outfielder, I want him to be a guy that if he plays twice a week, he's excited as hell."